Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00321
Owner death — software wallet 2016
BlockedCase description
An estate attorney noted a 2016 case where the deceased had referenced 'the password is where we first met' in a letter addressed to their spouse. The couple had met at multiple locations over their long relationship and the spouse could not determine which location was intended. Professional wallet recovery attempts using all plausible location-based passphrases were unsuccessful.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2016 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
There was only one way in. When that path was gone, so was access. Access was not recoverable.
Outcome interpretation
Access was not possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
Forum post
Related cases involving owner death
This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
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Framework references
Where Bitcoin Custody Intersects Legal and Fiduciary Authority
Where custody creates gaps in estate planning, fiduciary duty, and professional responsibility.
Professional Scope Boundary Matrix
What each professional or product covers, what they do not, and where gaps form between them.
The Independent Assessment Layer in Bitcoin Custody
How independent diagnostic layers emerge when multiple parties depend on shared infrastructure.